The expansion would have turned the plant into the biggest
household waste incinerator in Europe and one of the largest in the
world. The proposed new rubbish burner would have caused an
increase in dioxins and other cancer-causing chemicals released
into the air and generated thousands of tonnes of highly
contaminated ash for disposal in landfill sites each year.

The decision to turn down the proposal, because it would act as
a disincentive to recycling beyond the statutory minimum, will have
huge implications for other incinerator proposals around Britain.
The Government was also concerned that any shortfall in waste
delivered to Edmonton due to increased recycling would lead to
waste being imported into the north London area - this too has
significant implications for other incinerator proposals.

The Edmonton incinerator, already the biggest in Britain, has
been the target of a massive campaign by Greenpeace, Friends of the
Earth and Londoners Against Incineration. In October 2000,
Greenpeace volunteers occupied Edmonton's 100-metre chimney,
shutting it down for four days. The volunteers were all acquitted
of all charges by a London jury in a unanimous verdict in June the
following year.

Greenpeace incineration campaigner Mark Strutt said,

"The Government has done the right thing. Stopping this
mega-incinerator is good news for the health of British people and
good news for the environment. The decision to stop Edmonton B will
have massive implications for other proposals to burn waste and is
a body blow to the whole incineration industry. It seems that the
Government has finally got the message that incineration is a
terrible way of dealing with household rubbish and people don't
want to be poisoned by these polluting plants."

The Mayor of London has also strongly opposed the Edmonton
expansion on health grounds, because it crowds out recycling and
would undermine his own waste strategy.

The whole of the area surrounding Edmonton has already been
designated an Air Quality Management Zone due to its unacceptably
high levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, of which
Edmonton is one source. Even Enfield council, who part own the
plant, have said that the need for an expansion has not been shown.
A council committee has said that the incinerator is badly run and
that there is a potential conflict of interest in both representing
the community and part owning the plant.